Biden’s Crime Crisis

It has been nearly 14 months since the slogan “Defund The Police’’ plagued our public squares, and now we can see the dangerous consequences of this mantra. The American people cannot forget how this movement , which was supported by the Biden administration and its allies in Congress, has provided a perfect environment for criminals.

In June of last year, then Senator Kamala Harris said “I applaud Eric Garcetti ‘’ when asked about efforts by the mayor of Los Angeles to defund the LA Police Department. But just last week, the Biden administration’s political spin team decided the new narrative should be “it’s actually Republicans who want to defund the police.” Give me a break!

This is simply unacceptable. I believe Vice President Harris and every politician who supports defunding the police should take responsibility for the ongoing crime crisis. The men and women of law enforcement in our nation are vital to those of us who want safe streets and secure communities.

Police departments across America are underpaid, under-supported, and understaffed. With limited resources and low morale, it has created an environment where criminals can freely violate laws with little to no repercussions. Cops are no longer able to prevent crimes and are overwhelmed with investigating crimes that have already happened.

Statistics show that crime is rising in almost every major city across the U.S., including in our own state. Albuquerque is on track to break its own homicide record. Just last month, Albuquerque Police (ADP) officers responded to three homicides in a single, 9-hour span.

In 2020 and 2021 combined, the Albuquerque police department saw a 15% decrease in funding or roughly 20 million dollars from the city’s overall budget compared to 2019. During that same period, Albuquerque saw an increase in violent crimes. APD reports an increase in shootings, stabbings, assault and even homicides. We are only halfway through the year and Albuquerque is on track to have the highest number of homicides than any other year in recent history.

Skyrocketing crime is not just a problem in New Mexico. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department cut their 2021 budget by $145 million in efforts to “defund the police.” This led to an estimated loss of 1,130 law enforcement positions in the department.

Compared to this time last year, residents of Los Angeles County have faced an increase of 95.24% in murders, 40.11% in grand theft auto, 22.40% in arson, 12.94% in aggravated assault and 7.82% in forcible rape. I wonder if Kamala Harris still applauds LA’s decision to “defund the police?”

Over the 4th of July weekend, according to CNN, at least 233 people were killed and 618 people were injured by gun violence in more than 500 shootings. It is clear that “defunding the police” did not work in Albuquerque, Los Angeles, or dozens of cities across America.

Dangerous rhetoric coming from prominent Democrat figures has also led to an increase in violence towards our law enforcement officers. So far in 2021, 128 police officers have been shot in the line of duty. Additionally, there have been 27 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers this year, a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2020.

President Biden took office nearly six months ago and it is clear his so-called “solutions” are not working. This crime rampage in America can only be solved with proactive policing in our communities. Rather than defunding the police or going after gun owners, we need to provide more funding for our departments for better training, equipment, and resources. We need to protect our officers by passing legislation such as my “Defending Our Defenders Act.”

We need to return to an America where law enforcement officers are applauded, not attacked. We need to return to an America where our children can safely venture out our front doors without the fear of being harmed by dangerous criminals. It is time for us to step up and protect those who protect us.

This column originally appeared in the Friday, July 9 edition of the Roswell Daily Record.